Sambolero Tutorial

In this lesson we will explore the wonderful Joao Donato composition "Sambolero".

This song has an interesting title because it combines the word "Samba" and "Bolero". "Sambolero" is a term that was used in Brazil back in the 1950s.

There was a type of samba that was in some ways similar to the Cuban Bolero and so the title of this song is a play on the 2 words. However, this song in particular is more closely associated with the Samba than the Bolero.

The Legacy Of Joao Donato

Joao Donato is one of Brazil’s great composers and still active in his 80s! He began to establish himself as a musician in the 1950s, first as an accordionist, and then as a pianist.

Joao Donato’s tunes are known for their harmonic simplicity but carry a great sense of groove. His compositions are fantastic tools to develop the sound and style of Brazilian piano playing.

Intro, Outro, & Form

"Sambolero" has a rhythmic figure which is commonly played as an introduction, and an outro. This figure ‘bookends’ the actual composition itself which follows a standard AABA Form.

Comments

Wasn’t familiar with this particular tune, but it sounds very much like João Donato’s style. Would this be considered an example of choro? As Jovino says, the melody is straightforward – the challenge, as with all the tunes in the Bossa Grooves series, is developing the rhythmic facility and speed in going through the complex chord changes; since sambas are a lot faster than bossa novas that’s more of a challenge in this case. But the song is interesting in how it differs from the bossa standards.